


I Saw Your Face (you linger in my mind)

by GrassMower



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Chanyeol is an idiot, Enemies to Lovers, High School, M/M, Mentions of alcoholism, Rivalry, Smut, also kaisoo if u squint, embarrassing parents, mature language, sport team captain au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2019-02-05 13:34:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12795660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrassMower/pseuds/GrassMower
Summary: Baekhyun and Chanyeol have always hated each other.Crossposted onaff





	I Saw Your Face (you linger in my mind)

Byun Baekhyun is the worst. The arrogant team captain of the track and field club thinks he’s _so_ important. Always feeling entitled to the sports field and the locker room with the showers. Chanyeol can’t stand the midget at all. Just the mere thought of his existence makes Chanyeol angry. The basketball club is actually important. They do _tournaments_. What does the track and field club do? Running and jumping like a bunch of fools.

The basketball club _needs_ the sports field. They _need_ to practice in their free time. Yet every time Chanyeol and his team arrive at the sports field, midget Byun and his armada of lanky losers are in the way.

“Go away,” Chanyeol grumbles, tightening his grip on the basketball under his arm.

Baekhyun blows his pink bubblegum until it bursts with a _pop!_ before responding: “No.”

“We have a very important match coming up. You should give us the field.”

“I said no.”

“Why? Does your team have a tournament coming up? Or a match against another school? Or at least something even remotely important?” Chanyeol laughs at Baekhyun’s twitching brow. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Now give us the field or I’ll call the coach.”

“No.” Baekhyun holds up three fingers. “This is the third time I’ve said it now. I’m not changing my mind, Park.”

Chanyeol thins his lips, trying not to let Baekhyun get to his head. “Listen. This match is important to the school, not just us. So in the name of the school, give us the field.”

“No.”

“ _Fucking hell_ ,” Chanyeol mutters. “Why do you have to be so stubborn, Byun? Just give us the field and we can stop arguing.”

“Another way for us to stop arguing is _you_ giving _us_ the field.”

“Not happening.”

“Same here.”

Both team captains cross their arms while glaring at one another. Jongin, one of the track and field players, tiredly drags his feet to his captain.

“Did you guys settle for today yet?”

“No. Byun here is being difficult,” Chanyeol sneers. Knowing this is not over yet, Jongin sighs and jogs back to his teammates.

Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “Says the person who wants to have the same argument every day.”

“I don’t _want_ this argument, Byun. It’s you who is in the way!”

“Whatever. I’m not leaving.”

Baekhyun turns on his heel and shuffles to his teammates to begin stretching. With a loud cry of anger, Chanyeol storms off to make a furious call to the coach.

Every day after school the same thing happens; Chanyeol and Baekhyun argue about who gets the field, he fails to put up with Baekhyun’s stubbornness, and finally calls the coach. Unfortunately, she’s unbiased. Today Baekhyun gets the field. Chanyeol mopes all the way through practice at the rundown basketball cage three blocks away from the school.

 ---

“I jumped while my ankle slipped… and still scored! It was amazing, Kyungsoo. I should’ve won a medal for that.” Chanyeol is rambling non-stop about a match from last Saturday at lunch, much to his friend’s annoyance.

“I get it, you’re amazing,” Kyungsoo huffs, shovelling rice into his mouth.

“Don’t be grumpy just because you’re too short to join the basketball team.”

Kyungsoo punches him on the arm.

“I deserved that.”

“Damn right you did.”

Chanyeol laughs. “So tell me, oh wise and not-short Kyungsoo, has something interesting happened lately? All I’ve been doing is practice and helping around in my dad’s store.”

“Not really.” Kyungsoo shrugs. “But I guess… well… I don’t want to talk about you _again_ , but your little feuds with Byun have made it to the student council. Apparently it’s bothering the coach, other sports teams, and your own teams. You guys really hate each other, don’t you?”

Chanyeol purses his lips, letting his friend’s words sink in. “I wouldn’t say _hate_. Byun is just… so annoying. He always insists the field is his when his stupid club is not important at all! Basketball obviously has a more important place in this school but he’s just too stupid to realize it!”

Shaking his head, Kyungsoo digs his chopsticks in his rice. “Just because the basketball club can enter tournaments and play matches against other schools doesn’t mean track and field club is automatically unimportant. Who knows… maybe a gold star medalist is among them.”

Even Chanyeol has to admit that it’s a good point. But it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is the basketball club. “You’re just saying that because you have a crush on Jongin.” That earns him a kick to his shin.

“Speak of the devil…” Kyungsoo murmurs, his eyes signaling towards the entrance of the cafeteria, where Baekhyun is walking in with his track and field buddies. Kyungsoo’s eyes latch onto Jongin, his feelings carefully concealed – if Chanyeol didn’t know about his friend’s feelings he would’ve never guessed. The group of track and field players are grabbing lunch while laughing loudly. Probably laughing at the basketball club for stealing the field. Chanyeol squints his eyes in suspicion even though he knows such a thought is ridiculous. He feels bitter about losing the field and seeks revenge.

It’s just his luck Baekhyun hasn’t spotted him and is walking by his table. Subtly, he sticks his leg out right before Baekhyun can see it, allowing his success. Baekhyun trips and falls, his lunch dropping with him. The contents of his meal spill, rice and vegetables decorating the floor. When Baekhyun gets up after scanning the mess on the floor and on his clothes, he sends Chanyeol a glare.

“My bad,” Chanyeol says with a smirk.

Baekhyun’s face turns to stone as he grabs his milk carton from the floor. Before Chanyeol can realize what he’s about to do, Baekhyun has already dumped the milk over his head, staining his hair, face, and uniform.

“My bad,” Baekhyun echoes with a fake smile before strutting away.

Balling his fists, Chanyeol watches the midget saunter across the cafeteria. Next to him, Kyungsoo is barely able to hold his laughter. The moment their eyes connect, Kyungsoo loses it.

“You’re such a fucking dumbass,” Kyungsoo tells him with glee as laughter sprouts from his throat.

“I know, I know.”

 ---

“Good work today!” Chanyeol’s voice booms over the field. Today was a success. No sick or injured players, no rain and no track and field club claiming their space. Chanyeol wishes they could always practice like this, but that would be too much to ask. Satisfied with his teammates and their teamwork, Chanyeol gives each and every one of them an encouraging bump on the shoulder and a smile. Nothing could ruin this day.

After washing away his sweat and dumping his dirty basketball uniform in his smelly duffel bag, Chanyeol stays behind to clean and close off the field. It’s custom to do so, and today Chanyeol is too cheerful to nag his teammates for not doing it. After returning the basketballs to their rightful place in the shack and taking the empty water bottles to the trash, Chanyeol closes off the cage surrounding the field and makes his way out through the locker room. When he’s made sure that every door is locked properly, Chanyeol skips all the way to the coach’s offices to return the key.

The coach dismisses him with a wave of her hand as she’s busy on the phone, but Chanyeol doesn’t let it bother him. He strolls through the sports wing on his way out, but before he can reach the exit, a light in the inside storage grabs his attention. Weird. The coach isn’t someone to forget turning off the lights, so maybe someone is still there?

Chanyeol’s walk echoes through the hall until he hears sniffles and sobs coming from the storage. From that moment on, he tiptoes. Peeking his head around the corner, Chanyeol spots a figure hunched on the floor by the large mats, phone pressed against their ear.

“I-I’m sorry, mom.”

Wait. Chanyeol knows that voice.

“I’ll try harder next time, I promise.”

The person looks up from his small position and Chanyeol can see his tear-stained face. _Baekhyun._ Chanyeol is barely able to contain his gasp. What is he doing here so late? Why is he crying? And most importantly, why is it making Chanyeol’s heart ache?

Occupied with his thoughts, Chanyeol doesn’t notice Baekhyun spotting him until it’s too late. Baekhyun angrily wipes his tears as he gets up and rushes past Chanyeol. Just before he can leave, Chanyeol catches his wrist, pulling Baekhyun back so that they face each other. He doesn’t know why he couldn’t control the urge, or why he wanted to do it in the first place. Baekhyun’s pained eyes are glassy with tears, his cheeks stained with them. The sight of it does something dreadful to Chanyeol’s chest and stomach. It feels heavy. Then the sad look turns to rage and Baekhyun yanks his wrist back.

“I don’t need your shit right now, Park. Leave me the fuck alone.” With those words, Baekhyun is off, leaving Chanyeol standing there baffled.

 ---

Homework is impossible with Baekhyun’s tears still fresh in his mind. Chanyeol has been staring at the same body of text for ten minutes now. He doesn’t understand why the image bothers him so much. Baekhyun is his enemy. He should be happy seeing him weak, right? Chanyeol’s grip on his pen tightens.

“Chanyeol, sweetie! Come down and help your dad with the store!” His mom calls from downstairs, interrupting his train of thought.

“Coming!”

Rushing down the stairs, Chanyeol takes the side door after reaching the kitchen, which leads straight to his dad’s fresh produce store. His dad is behind the counter with a large line of customers in front of it, juggling with his tasks.

“I’ll take the register, dad,” Chanyeol tells him as he slips an apron on.

“Thank you.” His father smiles gratefully as Chanyeol slides behind the counter. While dealing with the customers at the counter, he watches his dad help out another customer by the tomatoes. His old man is always so friendly with the customers. A little _too_ friendly. He forgets to prioritize work instead of chatter.

When it’s seven o’clock and time to close down, Chanyeol helps his dad with storage, numbers, and cleaning. The store is a mess. Vegetables in the wrong cases, prices unattached, lousy number tracking – the list could go on. His dad has always been a messy man, but this is going a little too far. At the end of the evening, Chanyeol sits his dad down at the kitchen table.

“Dad… don’t you think you might benefit from having someone help you around the store?”

His father looks up from the bowl of carrot stew in his hand. “What do you mean?”

“Like someone helping around. Cleaning up. Working the cash register. That type of stuff.”

“But I have you to help me.”

Chanyeol scratches his head. “I mean… a paid worker. Someone who can work part-time.”

His father blinks at him for a full ten seconds before turning his eyes back to the stew.  “Your mother has also talked about that.”

“It would be a good idea, dad. The store would be a lot more organized. You can put up an ad on the window and I can ask around school.”

“Hmm… I’ll think about it.”

 ---

Chanyeol is completely geared up. Basketball shirt, shorts, and shoes, matching head and wristbands, and a freshly inflated basketball. With a good attitude and a wide smile, he leads his team out of the locker room and into the field, only to be met with the track and field club setting up their stuff.

From behind Chanyeol, Sehun sighs. “Of course.”

Chanyeol marches up to Baekhyun, who is awaiting him with a smirk. “How are you doing today, Park?”

“Give me the field.”

Baekhyun chuckles. “Straight to the point, huh? Then I’ll also get straight to the point: no. Run to the coach again if it bothers you.”

“Byun…” Chanyeol growls in a low voice, but all his anger disappears once the smug expression falls off Baekhyun’s face. Baekhyun’s suddenly innocent eyes stare up at him, his usually stupid face now different in Chanyeol’s eyes. It immediately brings him back to the time he found Baekhyun crying in the storage. His tearful expression pops back into Chanyeol’s mind, forcing his heart to relive that shot of pain.

He can’t find it in himself to get angry at Baekhyun.

Swallowing his pride, Chanyeol doesn’t finish his sentence and walks back to his awaiting teammates. He fails to see the questioning look crossing Baekhyun’s face.

“What are you doing?” Sehun asks.

“The other field.”

“What? But what about—”

“We’re going to the other field, Sehun,” Chanyeol says sternly before walking ahead.

 ---

More instances like those happen. Whenever Chanyeol tries to snap back against Baekhyun, his teary face appears in his mind and the words die on his tongue. In the past, their fights were the norm, but now Chanyeol feels like his words are _wrong_. Confused by these feelings, Chanyeol has decided to avoid Baekhyun altogether. And he couldn’t have decided it at a better time.

The coach has had enough of their bickering over the field. Every time Chanyeol comes in with a complaint she looks ready to pull her hair out. And so, she’s come up with the idea to make a schedule for the field. Monday and Tuesday for the track and field club, Wednesday and Thursday for the basketball club. No free time practices are ever held on Friday so there’s no need to distribute that day.

Chanyeol stopped seeing Baekhyun’s face, only ever catching a glimpse of him in the halls or the cafeteria. And he was fine with that. Or not. He kind of missed fighting with the midget, even if it brought him discomfort in the end.

That’s why Chanyeol is completely shocked to find Baekhyun standing in his father’s store with the _help wanted_ sheet in his hand. Chanyeol was just making his way down when he saw the other captain entering, prompting him to go hide behind the doorframe separating the store from their home.

“Good afternoon, son. How can I help you?” Chanyeol’s father asks the midget, a kind smile on his face.

“Hi, I’m Byun Baekhyun.” He bows politely. “I saw you were offering a job and I’m interested.”

Chanyeol frowns. Baekhyun working here? In his father’s store? Why is his heart squeezing pleasantly at the thought?

“Oh, yes! My son said I needed help around here and forced me to put up the sign. I don’t know a thing about all this hiring stuff, let me call him down.” Chanyeol panics at his father’s words and hides further back in the house, not wanting to get caught spying. “Chanyeol! Come down and help your father out here!”

Cringing, Chanyeol shows his face after a few seconds, striding towards his father without acknowledging Baekhyun. From the corner of his eyes, he can see Baekhyun’s shocked expression.

“Son, Baekhyunnie here is applying for the job. Would you mind taking him back and making sure he is fit for this position? Your old man doesn’t know as much as you do.”

“…Sure. Follow me, Baekhyun.”

With trembling hands, Chanyeol takes Baekhyun to the storage room and pulls out a seat for him.

“Thanks,” Baekhyun mutters softly as he sits down, folding his hands in his lap.

“So, um, what are you doing here?” Chanyeol asks.

Baekhyun bites his lip before looking Chanyeol straight in the eyes, a slightly upset expression falling over his face. “Listen, Chanyeol, I know you hate me but I _really_ need this job. My family…” Tears spring into his eyes. “My family is really poor and I recently lost my other part-time job and no one else is willing to give me one and now we don’t have enough money for rent and—” Baekhyun breaks into sobs, curling up in the chair. Chanyeol’s chest constricts at the sight, feeling extremely guilty for every time he’s said a mean word to Baekhyun.

“Um…” is the only word Chanyeol is able to form, baffled with heartbreak over Baekhyun’s situation.

Wiping his tears, Baekhyun quickly gets up. “I-I get it, you don’t want me to work there. I’ll just go. Please don’t tell anyone at school about this.”

When Baekhyun is halfway through rushing out the door, Chanyeol gets up and yells out: “Wait!”

Baekhyun turns to him with puffy eyes. A sight he never wanted to see again.

“I don’t hate you,” he states softly. “We just have our differences… Working in the store isn’t hard. My dad will show you everything. I’ll just—I’ll go tell him you got the job.”

“Th-thank you,” Baekhyun murmurs, fiddling with the sleeves on his sweater.

Wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans, Chanyeol heads back to the front and tells his father that Baekhyun is more than qualified.

 ---

It’s weird coming home from practice and seeing Baekhyun work in the store. It’s also weird to wake up and see Baekhyun in the store. It’s even weirder returning from a night’s out with friends and seeing his mother coo over Baekhyun at the dinner table.

“You have to eat well, Baekhyunnie. Who knows, you might become as tall as my Yeollie!”

“Mom…” Chanyeol groans at the nickname.

“That’s okay, Mrs. Park. I should really go. The carrot stew was lovely.”

“Then have some more, sweetheart! And you too, Chanyeol. You’ve been eating way too much junk food lately!”

“Sorry, mom.” Chanyeol takes a seat at the table, across from Baekhyun. His mother puts a bowl down in front of him before kissing his forehead and refilling Baekhyun’s bowl.

“Boys your age should be eating well,” she scolds kindly before caressing Baekhyun’s hair. She exits the room after making sure there’s enough to eat, leaving the two boys in a rather awkward situation.

“Sorry about my mom. She worries a lot.”

Baekhyun smiles a tiny bit. It makes Chanyeol’s heart leap a bit. “That’s okay, it’s just how moms are.”

“Yeah.”

“Cute nickname, by the way.” Baekhyun smirks at him. “ _Yeollie_.”

Chanyeol sends him a glare, but his cheeks are flushed. Before Baekhyun could rile him up in anger in a matter of seconds, and now… now he makes Chanyeol feel a lot of other things.

 ---

“You have the field two times a week, you don’t have to fight Baekhyun anymore and practice is going well. I don’t see the problem?” Kyungsoo gives him an incredulous look. “Are you never satisfied?”

Chanyeol sighs, laying his homework down. The two of them are in Chanyeol’s room, attempting to do homework, but it didn’t take long before Chanyeol started talking about himself.

“Baekhyun is working in my dad’s store.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widen. “Wow. Did _not_ expect that.”

“And… I don’t know. We’re not throwing insults at each other. Sometimes he eats dinner with my family. It makes me feel weird. He makes me feel weird.”

“You mean awkward?”

“No. It’s not awkward at all. He just… I don’t know. He does something to my chest. And he makes me blush. I don’t know why.”

Kyungsoo gives him an unamused look. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Instead of giving a reply, Chanyeol offers a shrug.

“Don’t tell me you _like_ Baekhyun, your mortal enemy who you’ve been fighting with for the past two years.”

Chanyeol is shocked by Kyungsoo’s implication. _Liking_ Baekhyun? That’s absolutely absurd!

“Wh-what are you talking about? Of course I don’t like him. I just… I don’t know. I feel bad for him, I guess. His family is really poor, did you know that?”

Kyungsoo sighs loudly. “You are the biggest fucking idiot I’ve ever met. You better not let Baekhyun hear that or he’ll hate you even more.”

Chanyeol bites his lip and plays with the fabric of his jeans.

“Just admit you like him,” Kyungsoo teases with a smirk.

“I don’t like him! Not at all!” It takes one deadpan look from Kyungsoo to shut Chanyeol down. He fiddles with his fingers. “Okay… I might like him a little. But only as a friend, I swear.”

A knowing smile paints Kyungsoo’s lips, one Chanyeol doesn’t see. “…Sure.”

 ---

Chanyeol finds himself hanging around the store for the smallest of reasons. He’ll pretend his dad still needs his help around the store and will do unnecessary tasks like sweeping the clean floor or watching the storage. His father will send him strange looks every now and then while Baekhyun will just ignore him. It always sparks a bit of disappointment when Baekhyun gives him the cold shoulder, but he’ll pretend not to feel it.

Today Chanyeol pretends to be genuinely interested in checking the mangos’ quality. His eyes sneakily follow Baekhyun when the latter walks past him with a banana box. The midget is carefully stocking the bananas a few meters apart from him, a concentrated look on his face. Biting his lip, Chanyeol contemplates striking up a conversation.

But what would he say? He can’t just go blabbering about mango quality or banana refilling. Basketball or track and field is not an option either – Baekhyun probably carries hate for basketball after the field feud, and Chanyeol doesn’t know a thing about track and field. Unable to think of a thing to say, he traces Baekhyun’s departure to the storage room with his eyes.

Maybe Chanyeol can talk to him about the store.

Chanyeol leaves the mangos behind and follows Baekhyun’s steps to the storage room. Once he peeks his head through the door, he spots Baekhyun trying to grab a box of cucumbers from a high up plank. His fingers barely reach the plank when he stands on his tippy toes. The sight is adorable. Chanyeol could stare at it for hours if it wasn’t for the craving of wanting to help.

Chanyeol steps across the room and places himself against Baekhyun’s backside before reaching up and retrieving the box for him. Surprised by the action, Baekhyun turns around with wide eyes. He plants his back against the storage rack as he accepts the box from Chanyeol.

Chanyeol’s stomach swirls pleasantly when he sees Baekhyun’s red cheeks. Being this close to Baekhyun does weird things to his body – making him tremble, making him warm. The latter catches his gaze for a second before turning it to the box of cucumbers.

“Th-thank you,” he murmurs before shuffling back to the store.

“You’re welcome,” Chanyeol answers half a minute late.

Completely struck, he makes his way back to the house, to his room, and plops down face first into his pillow. The moment replays in his head until the end of the day.

 ---

There’s good news. It puts an undefeatable grin on Chanyeol’s face. He rushes home right after hearing it, forgoing a shower and staying in his sweaty basketball uniform. Sweat plasters his hair against his temples and forehead, but Chanyeol couldn’t care less – he has to share this news with his parents.

“Mom!” Chanyeol yells, his deep voice echoing through the house. “Mom! I have important news!”

He walks into the kitchen, finding his parents in the middle of cooking. His mother is crouched down by the oven while his father is chopping up some vegetables.

“I have big news!”

His parents turn their heads, expressions filled with curiosity.

“Well, tell us, honey!”

“You see, the other day we did exceptionally well at training and—”

“Mr. Park, I finished sweeping the storage,” Baekhyun voice cuts in as he walks through the door. All eyes are suddenly on him. “A-am I interrupting something?”

“Not at all, honey! Please sit down, Yeollie was just telling us some big news.” Chanyeol’s mother guides Baekhyun to a seat. “Go on, Yeollie. We’re all waiting.”

Awkwardness overtakes Chanyeol due to Baekhyun’s presence, but the weight of the good news relieves him. The smile returns to his face. “Apparently, the other week one of the people who watched our training was a coach at the big sports hall! He thought we did well and now they’re asking us to participate in a tournament!”

His parents gasp collectively.

“That’s wonderful, honey!”

“The first match is in two weeks!”

His parents are full of glee, gushing over how proud they are of their son. From the corner of his eye, Chanyeol spots Baekhyun looking awkward. The latter is fiddling with his fingers, ignoring the conversation as if it’s not being held at all.

“And is Baekhyunnie coming too?”

“H-huh?” Baekhyun’s head shoots up at the mention of his name.

Chanyeol’s mother is looking at the midget expectantly. “You are coming too, right? Yeollie must’ve invited you already.”

“U-uh…” Chanyeol stutters.

“Baekhyunnie is personally invited, right?”

“Mrs. Park, I don’t think Chanyeol wants me to go,” Baekhyun mumbles, still playing with his fingers.

Chanyeol feels his throat stock up. Wrong words. His mother gasps dramatically.

“That can’t be true! Park Chanyeol, did you say anything to make Baekhyunnie feel this way?”

Uh oh. The _full name_. That means trouble. Chanyeol has to choose his next words very carefully if he doesn’t want to be stuck at the dinner table listening to his mother lecturing him for the rest of the night.

“Everyone’s invited. I didn’t think inviting Baekhyun personally was necessary.”

That seems to please his mother. She smiles broadly, empathizing the wrinkles lining her face. “How wonderful!”

“We’ll be looking forward to it, son. Practice well.” His father claps his shoulder encouragingly.

As his parents begin chattering, Chanyeol’s eyes meet Baekhyun’s. The latter has a neutral expression on his face. The thought of Baekhyun watching him play does something strange to Chanyeol, it makes him nervous but also… happy. A smile threatens to break. Chanyeol averts his eyes to avoid any awkwardness from happening.

 ---

The two weeks before the game pass by in the blink of an eye. Before Chanyeol knows it, he’s tying the shoelaces of his basketball shoes and adjusting the sweatband holding back his hair. The silence in the locker room before the game is tense. The nervousness is apparent in every member of the basketball team. Some pace endlessly, some stay absolutely still, and others fiddle with any object they can find. Chanyeol calms his nerves with breathing exercises.

The coach steps in just as Chanyeol releases a deep breath.

“It’s time, boys.”

 ---

They lose.

 ---

Chanyeol’s team didn’t do badly, it’s just that the other team did better. They didn’t lose by a huge amount of points, in fact it came pretty close, but losing is losing and it sucks nonetheless. It sucks even more because his parents who were so excited and proud, came to the game, and saw their son fail.

After telling his teammates they did a good job despite the loss, Chanyeol lets the disappointment sink in. The locker room filters out, his teammates eventually leaving Chanyeol to himself.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Sehun tells him with a gentle pat to his shoulder. After he exits as well, Chanyeol heaves a deep sigh.

He really wanted to make his parents proud. Winning for the school was never on his mind. He had been so excited when the news broke out, and his parents even more so. The memory is upsetting. The anger boils up in a fraction of a second and Chanyeol kicks his bag to the other side of the room.

“What are you so angry for?” A mocking, though familiar tone. Chanyeol looks up. Of course. It couldn’t have been anybody but Baekhyun.

“I lost the fucking game, that’s why.”

Baekhyun walks over to him, his footsteps echoing on the tiles. He folds his arms across his chest and leans on the wall opposite of Chanyeol.

“I would suggest not getting violent,” he comments before kicking the bag back.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Chanyeol spits, glaring straight at Baekhyun. The midget is really getting on his nerves right now.

“I’m not.”

“You really have a knack for annoying me, don’t you?”

Baekhyun smirks. “It’s one of my best qualities.”

The half-smile on Baekhyun’s lips is intoxicating. Those lips are calling for him, drawing him in. Chanyeol gets up from the bench and steps towards Baekhyun until they’re in each other’s space.

“We haven’t bickered like that in a while.”

Baekhyun raises an eyebrow. “You’re the one that suddenly stopped.”

“Well, that’s because—” Chanyeol halts his words. It’s because every time they bickered, all Chanyeol could see was Baekhyun’s teary eyes. It’s an image that hasn’t popped up in his mind in a while. Baekhyun looked so vulnerable, so weak… but so endearing. Chanyeol gulps as his gaze falls to Baekhyun’s lips. There’s a voice in his head telling him he wants to press his own lips to those. The urge becomes stronger. Chanyeol raises his hand to cup Baekhyun’s cheek. The midget’s eyes widen and his cheeks redden, but Chanyeol fails to halt at this point. Instead, he leans in, fully intending to kiss Baekhyun.

“Chanyeol, are you in here?”

Chanyeol jerks back as if he’s touched fire. Baekhyun remains in place, face aflame and completely still, before suddenly bolting out of the room. Seconds later, Kyungsoo walks in, a curious look painting his features as he gazes at Chanyeol.

“Chanyeol, your parents are waiting outside,” he announces softly.

His parents. _Shit_. He had to face them now, after disappointing them. With a deep sigh, he collects his things and walks out with Kyungsoo next to him.

“You did a great job, even if you didn’t win.”

“I know, I know.”

“You don’t sound convinced.” Chanyeol doesn’t answer that. “Anyway, what was Baekhyun doing in there?”

“Came to mock me, as always.”

Kyungsoo squints his eyes at him but gives no further comment as Chanyeol steps outside to face his parents.

“Yeollie!”

Chanyeol keeps his head down, not wanting to face them out of shame.

Two pairs of arms wrap around him.

“You did so great out there, Yeollie!” His mother commentates with a wide grin.

Shocked, Chanyeol locks eyes with his mother. “Wh-what? But we lost…”

His father lays a hand on his shoulder. “You did great, son.”

“We’re very proud of you, even if you didn’t win the match.”

Chanyeol is absolutely baffled. There’s not a single hint of disappointment in their eyes, just gleaming pride.

“Just seeing you out there on the field, trying your hardest already made us the proudest parents in the audience,” his mother tells him, pinching his cheek.

Blushing at the praise, Chanyeol gazes at the ground again. “Thank you, mom and dad.”

“I baked a strawberry cake this morning to celebrate!”

“But we lost...” Chanyeol mutters.

“To celebrate either a win or a loss!” His father tells him with glee before bursting into laughter. His mother, Kyungsoo, and Chanyeol himself also relieve some laughter, the mood completely lifted with just a couple of sentences.

The negative feelings associated with the loss of the match are completely dissolved, leaving no nasty bits behind. With a genuine smile, Chanyeol spends the rest of the evening celebrating the loss.

 ---

One day Chanyeol comes home from school to find the kitchen completely deserted. This, in itself, is strange. His mother and father are both very fond of cooking, and usually there’s at least one of them in the kitchen – and if that isn’t the case, then there’s at least a pie in the oven or soup bubbling on the stove.

Chanyeol eventually finds a note on the dinner table.

_Your dad and I will be back after dinner. Please look after Baekhyunnie in the store and eat dinner with him._

Chanyeol glances at the clock. Half past four. With a sigh, he ties an apron around his waist and heads for the store. Baekhyun doesn’t spot him right away as he’s busy with customers, but when he does, all he gives is an acknowledging nod. Chanyeol begins organizing the back and stocking the fruit in the store while Baekhyun is behind the register, and so the time passes until it is six o’clock.

Chanyeol locks the front door, checking the lock and jiggling the handle a couple of times. When he’s reassured that the door is locked, he lowers the protective fence and puts the keys back on their designated place in the kitchen. Back in the shop, Baekhyun is sweeping the floor. The apron looks cute on him.

Chanyeol shakes the thought off. “I’m gonna cook dinner now.”

Baekhyun replies with nothing more than a short nod, not even looking Chanyeol in the eyes.

About twenty minutes later, both of them are chewing on mashed potatoes. The kitchen is completely quiet apart from the clock ticking and the occasional scrape of a fork on a plate.

“I’m not a great cook… Is it decent?”

“It’s edible,” Baekhyun answers in all seriousness. Then a grin spreads across his face. “I’m just kidding. It’s good.”

Chanyeol sends him a playful glare before forking around his plate again. “There’s still some left. Care to take that home?”

Baekhyun shrugs. “Sure. My mom always loves the food your family makes.”

Chanyeol immediately remembers Baekhyun’s family. Well, there isn’t a lot to remember considering all Baekhyun’s ever told him was his family’s financial situation and some brief mentions of his mother, but he’s reminded nonetheless. Chanyeol’s eyes immediately slip to Baekhyun’s appearance and he notices a hole in Baekhyun’s sweater. The ends of his sleeves are frayed too.

“What about your dad?” Chanyeol asks as he shovels more mashed potatoes in his mouth.

“Never knew him. It’s just me, my mom and my brother.”

“O-oh. Sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay, it’s all I’ve ever known.”

An awkward silence falls.

“So, uh, what does your mother do?”

“She’s disabled. She can’t work.”

 _Wow, way to go Chanyeol_.

“Th-that must be tough.”

“Not really. She gets some money from the government. My brother’s the real pain in the ass. All he ever does is smoke and get drunk. And with our money too.”

“Is that why you need a job?”

Baekhyun is silent for a little while. “…yeah,” he eventually answers.

“I’m sorry. That must be really hard.”

Baekhyun shrugs, but remains quiet.

“Now I feel like an asshole for fighting with you all those times.”

“Don’t be. That was actually a lot of fun.”

“What? Why?” Chanyeol asks in shock.

Baekhyun smirks. “You get worked up easily.”

Cheeks steaming red, Chanyeol continues eating his mashed potatoes. “You should be happy the coach made that schedule otherwise I’d never give you the field again.”

Baekhyun laughs at that, and Chanyeol feels his heart begin to race. Baekhyun’s laugh is captivating, endearing. Chanyeol desires to see it more often, to always be the cause of it. The image of a tearful Baekhyun flashes through his mind and Chanyeol swears to never make Baekhyun cry – only to make him laugh.

 ---

Chanyeol is grabbing his coat alongside Kyungsoo when the muffled pitter-patter of shoes on a carpeted floor echoes through the hallway. The both of them ignore the sound until it comes to a halt behind them.

“Park,” a voice calls out. Chanyeol turns to find Baekhyun standing there, a grin on his lips.

“What’s up, midget.”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, but the smile remains on his face. “Do you call your friend over there a midget too?” He asks, pointedly flicking his eyes towards Kyungsoo.

“If he did he would be six feet under by now,” Kyungsoo answers in a deadpan voice as he slips his arms in the sleeves of his coat.

“Kyungsoo has anger issues.” That earns him a punch to his shoulder. Well-deserved.

“Sounds more like a good strategy to me.”

“It _is_ effective.”

Baekhyun smirks. “Maybe I should try it.”

“Alright, before you two plan my demise, how about you tell me what you came for, Baekhyun.”

“I came here to re-claim the field.” At Chanyeol’s shocked expression, Baekhyun bursts out in laughter. “I’m just kidding!”

“I thought we buried the hatchet on that one.”

“I was just kidding, dumbo. Anyway, I was wondering if… uh…” Chanyeol barely believes it when he sees it, but there’s an actual blush on Baekhyun’s cheeks right now. And Baekhyun’s averting his eyes. Baekhyun is actually _embarrassed_. What could the question possibly be if it has Baekhyun looking like this?  “I was wondering if we could w-walk home together, since we both have to go to your house a-and stuff.”

The request has Chanyeol so baffled his entire mind blanks. The sight of a red-faced, shy Baekhyun doesn’t help either. His pulse is racing and his face feels hot. Nothing goes through his mind except Baekhyun’s words and Baekhyun’s face, which seems to be a reoccurring event as of late. A sudden jab to his side from Kyungsoo’s elbow has his mind engine up and running again.

He clears his throat and nods. “Sure.”

Baekhyun’s shy demeanor dissolves in an instant and a smile blooms in place. “Great! Let’s go!”

He grabs Chanyeol by the arm and drags him away from Kyungsoo without another word.

 ---

“So you and Byun are best buddies now, huh?” Kyungsoo teases with a smirk the next day at lunch.

“Shut up.”

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow at Chanyeol’s swift reply.

“He’s just nice, okay? He’s always around and my parents like him. I was bound to become civil with him.”

“Just _civil_?” Kyungsoo repeats with a tone Chanyeol doesn’t like.

“Yeah? What else are we supposed to be?”

“Well… yesterday tells me you totally have a crush on him.”

Chanyeol turns red from tip to toe. “That’s—that’s _not_ true!” He splutters.

“Really? Because last time we talked about him you told me he made you blush and feel weird in your chest. If that and yesterday aren’t enough indication, I don’t know what is.”

“I don’t remember ever having that conversation.”

“Of course you don’t,” Kyungsoo mutters while rolling his eyes. “Are you running from your feelings, Park Chanyeol?”

“I’m not running from anything.”

“Okay, then picture Baekhyun naked and tell me you don’t feel a thing.”

Chanyeol stupidly obeys and thinks about Baekhyun naked. His soft, pale skin on display as he lays on his back, legs spread to reveal— Chanyeol’s pulse is suddenly a whole lot faster. He tries not to show his feelings on his face, but the smirk on Kyungsoo’s lips tells him he has failed.

“I hate you.”

Kyungsoo just laughs at him, like the good friend he is.

 ---

After not being able to rid his mind of a naked Baekhyun, Chanyeol curses his friend to hell. Trying to act casual in front of Baekhyun is hard, but the latter doesn’t see through his façade and is as friendly as ever. After the one time they talked about Baekhyun’s family, the two of them have definitely become closer. Baekhyun started hanging out in Chanyeol’s room after working in the store, and the two of them quickly found out they had the same taste in music and the same sense of humor.

Chanyeol has long realized how much he likes Baekhyun – definitely in the romantic way. That’s why Chanyeol is currently freaking out. This afternoon when they walked home from school Baekhyun asked if Chanyeol would like to come over to his house after his shift ended. Chanyeol understands this is a big deal for Baekhyun, as his family and his family’s situation is really personal, and thus it is an even bigger deal for Chanyeol. Currently, he is pondering over what to wear. Baekhyun is still in his father’s store, working his shift while Chanyeol is anxiously peering at every piece of clothing he owns.

The clock strikes six eventually and Chanyeol has settled on his best pair of jeans and an old basketball shirt. Hopefully it doesn’t show he tried his hardest to look casual. With one last glance in the mirror at his hair, Chanyeol heads downstairs, clenching his fists to ease his excitement.

Baekhyun is at the bottom of the stairs, putting on his uniform blazer. When Chanyeol’s footsteps reach his ears, he looks up and their eyes connect. Chanyeol immediately feels a spark, a fizzle, and a blush rushes to his cheeks. A soft pink appears on Baekhyun’s cheeks as well and he averts his eyes.

“Let’s go,” he says softly.

The walk to Baekhyun’s house is thankfully filled with chatter and laughter, the two of them finding many things to talk about. Chanyeol can’t believe he used to hate Baekhyun. Though their conversations mostly consist of friendly insults and teasing, the time they spend together is a lot of fun. Baekhyun is no longer just an annoying track and field captain to him and he hopes he is also more than an annoying basketball team captain to Baekhyun.

“You know, Park, you’re not so bad.”

“Thanks, midget.”

“I should really start punching you every time you say that,” Baekhyun mutters. “Am I not going to get a ‘you’re not so bad either, Baekhyun’ back?”

“In your dreams.”

“You’re stupid. No wonder Kyungsoo punches you all the time.”

Baekhyun walks up to the front door to unlock it. Meanwhile, Chanyeol takes a look around. He already knows they’re in a poor neighborhood, but the sight of Baekhyun’s apartment block is something new. It’s practically a slab of concrete with a pattern of door, window, door, window, but its state is very rundown. There’s tons of broken windows and holes covered up with planks and duct tape, the front yard is overrun by tall grass and the gate looks like it hasn’t seen a proper lock in a long time. The entire third floor is empty, no windows or even doors, just empty spaces in the concrete. Trash bags lay outside and Chanyeol thinks he saw a flash of a rat tail earlier.

Chanyeol doesn’t want to judge, but this is bad. Really bad.

“S-sorry about the mess in the front yard. There’s this one resident who just throws it out there.” The embarrassment audible in Baekhyun’s tone makes Chanyeol feel horrible inside.

“What a dickhead,” Chanyeol supplies.

Once inside the main door, there’s a whole row of rusty mail boxes slapped on the wall, an out-of-use elevator and more trash bags. The whole room smells rotten so Baekhyun quickly checks their mailbox before hauling Chanyeol up the stairs.

“Have you spoken to the landlord about that resident? Maybe he could do something about it.”

“Nah, he doesn’t give a rat’s ass about anyone living in this building. Or the building itself, as you can see.”

“Asshole.”

Baekhyun shrugs as he puts his key in apartment 203. “This place is full of them.”

Inside is a lot more homely. Family pictures line the cramped hallway, there’s height markings in crayon on the door frame, and the overall lighting is warm. The living room is clean, though very much lived in. The couch is worn out, the carpet frayed, and the dining table full of stains and marker lines. It looks homely nonetheless. Baekhyun drops his backpack on the couch and Chanyeol follows suit.

“Hey, mom.”

The living room is connected to the kitchen, only divided by a linoleum floor. The kitchen is also spotless, though the cabinets all have children’s drawings on them. A figure rides out from between the kitchen island and the other cabinets in a wheelchair. Chanyeol hadn’t spotted her before but this must be Baekhyun’s mother.

“Hi, Baekhyunnie. How was work?”

“Good…” Baekhyun trails off. “I brought someone over.”

Baekhyun’s mother looks over to Chanyeol with wide eyes. Chanyeol quickly strides over to her and bows in respect.

“Hi, Mrs. Byun. I’m Chanyeol.”

“So nice to meet you. Baekhyun never brings anyone over!”

“ _Mooom_ ,” Baekhyun groans with a blush on his cheeks. Chanyeol can’t help a smile. Does this mean he’s special to Baekhyun?

“Oh, shush. Would you like some tea, Chanyeol?”

“Yes, please.”

“Mom… the kettle is broken, remember?”

A spark of remembrance crosses Mrs. Byun’s eyes. “Oh, right. I’ll have to heat up some in a pot. I’ll bring it over soon.”

“Okay, we’ll be in my room.”

Chanyeol silently trails behind Baekhyun as they walk through the hallway again. At the left end of the hallway is a door with a bunch of trash bags in front of it. When Chanyeol gets closer he sees the bags are full of bottles, and he guesses this must be Baekhyun’s brother’s room. But then he sees the faded letters spelling “ _BAEKBEOM”_ and “ _BAEKHYUN”_ on the door.

“I have to share a room with him,” Baekhyun says softly as he opens the door.

The room is insanely cramped. There’s a bunk bed against the wall, leaving about a meter of space behind it which is occupied by a closet. The walking space next to the bunk bed is littered by clothes and empty bottles. Chanyeol doesn’t comment on it.

“He only comes home at night, so don’t worry about him barging in.”

“No offense, but he seems like a complete asshole.”

“He is.” Baekhyun chuckles bitterly. “He makes it a lot harder at home than it could be. I don’t mind being poor, I don’t care about my mom being disabled, and I certainly don’t care about having a small room. But he takes the little money we have and uses it for bad things. Then he comes home drunk and upsets my mom, bothers me... it makes things a lot harder.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just the way it is. Anyway, welcome to my humble abode.” Baekhyun smiles and Chanyeol is over the moon.

“Thank you for having me,” Chanyeol answers with a grin.

“Baek!” Mrs. Byun’s voice calls.

“Ugh, hold on one second. There’s something wrong with the stove and you have to turn it on in a special way. Wait here and I’ll be back soon.”

Chanyeol waits about a minute before plopping on the bottom bed. The scent of Baekhyun is overwhelming. Daring to take a risk, Chanyeol quickly plants his face into the pillow and takes a deep whiff. Baekhyun’s scent is heavenly so directly into his nose but he can’t get caught, so he sits upright within a second. Pretending to not have done one of the weirdest things he could do in Baekhyun’s room, Chanyeol folds his hands in his lap and waits patiently.

When Baekhyun returns, he’s holding a tray with a teapot and matching cups. He sets it down next to Chanyeol and takes his place.

“Sorry nothing in this house works and everything takes an eternity,” Baekhyun mutters.

“I don’t care about that.”

Baekhyun’s cheeks grow red as he begins pouring the cups. “Can’t help but feel self-conscious, I guess.”

“Moments ago you said you didn’t care about being poor or about having a small room.”

“That was— that was different.”

“How was that different?”

“That was my problem. You being in this house makes it your problem as well.” Baekhyun looks away. “I don’t want to inconvenience others.”

“You aren’t. I don’t care about having to wait two more minutes for tea than I’m used to. That’s honestly the least of my worries. What I do care about, however, is how close you are to spilling that tea on yourself.”

Baekhyun’s eyes shoot down to his hand, where he’s holding the teapot at such an angle that it’s close to overflowing from the top, directly onto his hand. He quickly put the teapot down, but it knocks a cup over.

His hand would’ve been burned by the steaming water had it not been for Chanyeol grabbing his them in time.

“Look, you idiot! You almost burned your hands!” Chanyeol’s face is serious before he locks eyes with Baekhyun. Baekhyun is blushing a deep red, his expression shy.

The sight immediately has Chanyeol’s mind reeling. His pulse picks up and soon his heart is drumming in his chest. He realizes he’s still holding Baekhyun’s dainty hands and his face flushes, the blush burning all the way up to his ears. His hands tingle heavily where their skin is connected. The thought of holding Baekhyun’s hands forever feels like a good idea at the moment. But an even better idea enters his mind and before he can stop himself he takes action.

He leans over and presses his lips to Baekhyun’s.

And by the gods it is just like heaven. It’s everything he imagined and more. His entire body is now prickling and burning, itching for more yet satisfied with what it has. Baekhyun’s lips are feathery and warm – Chanyeol could kiss them into infinity. But he can’t. He has to know how Baekhyun feels about this.

He pulls back, eyes glued to his lap, and awaits Baekhyun’s reaction. 

It’s dead silent for a short while.

“That one time in the locker room, after you lost the tournament… were you going to kiss me?” Is what Baekhyun asks.

Chanyeol gazes up in shock. They have never talked about it nor acknowledged that situation. Chanyeol flushes again and looks down. “…Yes,” he whispers softly.

“Why?”

Chanyeol gulps. “Because I like you.”

Baekhyun hides his face in his hands. Whether that’s a good or bad sign, Chanyeol doesn’t know, but he doesn’t say a word – only focusing on controlling his breath.

“D-does that mean you want me to be your boyfriend?”

Chanyeol clears his throat awkwardly. “Uh, Y-yeah.” Of course he does. It’s all he’s been thinking about – holding Baekhyun’s hand, kissing him, cuddling him, going on dates with him.

Baekhyun blushes vividly at that. “Can you release my hands?” He asks softly.

“O-oh, uh, of course! Sorry.” Chanyeol completely forgot he was holding them.

Baekhyun uses his now free hands to put the tray on the ground. After sitting back on the bed, he scoots closer to Chanyeol. Then he bores his gaze into Chanyeol’s face.

Chanyeol slowly turns his face to Baekhyun’s, feeling his cheeks scorch once they make eye contact. Baekhyun lays a hand on Chanyeol’s neck. It stirs butterflies in Chanyeol’s stomach and lights the rest of his body on fire. Then Baekhyun positions himself on one of Chanyeol’s thighs and puts his hand on other his thigh, causing Chanyeol to nearly decease on the spot.

“I put the tray down so we can k-kiss better…” he admits shyly.

“Y-you want to kiss again?”

Baekhyun buries his head in Chanyeol’s chest. “I’m embarrassed… but yes, I want to kiss you again. I-I like you too, Chanyeol…”

Baekhyun lifts his face from Chanyeol’s chest, and the next thing he knows, Baekhyun is kissing him again. Chanyeol can’t even get a word out, no affirmations nor questions, but can he really complain when Baekhyun’s lips are on his? He angles his head to let the kiss fit better, and his hands automatically slide to Baekhyun’s hips. A soft moan from Baekhyun makes its way into the kiss. Chanyeol takes this as a sign and slowly lowers Baekhyun on the bed.

Baekhyun keens, opening his mouth, allowing Chanyeol to slip his tongue inside. It’s wet but it’s hot, and Chanyeol is loving every second of it. Having Baekhyun this close, connected to him in such an intimate way is making his mind hazy; nothing gets registered except the touches.

“Baek!” A voice calls from the hallway.

Chanyeol immediately gets off of Baekhyun while the latter shoots up to fix his hair.

“Let’s do that when my mom _isn’t_ home,” Baekhyun commentates with a grin before sauntering out of the room.

Chanyeol smiles widely before letting himself drop on the bed with a lovesick sigh. Everything feels like a dream, but it’s a wonderful reality.

 ---

“I can’t believe you ended up dating your arch nemesis,” Kyungsoo supplies dryly as he puts his coat on. When Chanyeol initially told him Baekhyun and he were dating now, Kyungsoo was neutral-faced but expressed his shock nonetheless. He confessed he knew from the start Chanyeol had a crush on Baekhyun, but didn’t expect Baekhyun to be ‘enough of a dumbass’ to actually agree to date him. His reaction wasn’t enthusiastic or overwhelmingly negative, exactly as Chanyeol predicted. Kyungsoo is Kyungsoo, after all.

“And I can’t believe you still haven’t asked Jongin out,” Chanyeol shoots back, which earns him a punch to his shoulder. “Ow.”

“You deserved that.”

“You really need to learn how to handle a little teasing, Kyungsoo.”

“I can handle teasing just fine.”

“Yeah, when it doesn’t involve Jongin— _ow!_ ”

“You deserved that too.”

Chanyeol sighs. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s just get out of here so I can see my boyfriend. He had an important evaluation for track and field today and I need to hear how it went.”

“Mhmm,” Kyungsoo hums with disinterest as he checks his phone.

“I’m also going to his house today, which is special because he usually doesn’t want to.”

“So, in other words you guys are going to fuck,” Kyungsoo observes dryly.

Chanyeol’s entire face turns red. “I didn’t say that!”

“Well… if his evaluation goes right, he’ll want to have congratulatory sex. If it went badly, he’ll want cheer-up sex.”

“Stop putting fantasies into my head,” Chanyeol mutters.

“Fantasies? Haven’t you guys had sex yet?”

Chanyeol scratches the back of his head. “No… We got close once but I’m waiting for Baekhyun to tell me he wants to.” An incredulous look courtesy of his best friend is sent his way. “I don’t want to pressure him by asking, okay?!”

“Pressuring someone into sex is bad, obviously. But asking them whether they want to have sex or not is not a crime, you know. That way you can get on the same page. I swear to god, Chanyeol, you’re the biggest dumbass to have ever walked this earth.”

“I’m trying to be a good boyfriend…”

“Yeah, and that starts by communicating.” Kyungsoo sighs. “Anyway, your boyfriend is coming and I don’t wanna see your guys’ tongues so I’m going to leave. See you tomorrow.” He walks off before Baekhyun reaches Chanyeol, successfully avoiding him.

“Kyungsoo always runs off whenever we meet up. What’s his deal?”

“He’s jealous he can’t be like us with Jongin,” Chanyeol supplies with a grin.

“Are you sure he doesn’t hate me?”

“He hates everyone. But he hates me the most, and seeing my mouth on yours is something he just can’t handle.”

“He’s not giving me the impression that he’s a good friend,” Baekhyun says carefully, sending his boyfriend a look.

“Kyungsoo is a really good friend. He helped me deal with the feelings I developed for you.”

A slight blush appears on Baekhyun’s cheeks at that. “What feelings?” he asks teasingly.

“Oh, you know, the usual stuff. How much I like you and all.”

Baekhyun jokingly hits him on the chest. “Let’s go home, you flirt.”

Once they arrive at Baekhyun’s apartment, his mother greets him happily. The small woman is on her way out, pressing a kiss to both her son and her son’s boyfriend’s cheeks before leaving the building. Chanyeol doesn’t try to let the thought of them being alone get to his head.

Eventually the two of them sit on Baekhyun’s bed while sipping tea.

“So when did you develop feelings for me?” Baekhyun asks without shame, watching his boyfriend with expectation.

Chanyeol feels a bit of heat rush to his cheeks. “Well, um… this one time… I don’t know if you remember, but I went to return the key to the coach and on my way back I saw a light in the storage. It was you and you were on the phone… crying. My heart just stopped seeing you like that and I couldn’t get your crying face out of my mind. Every time we fought I just couldn’t do it anymore because I remembered you crying like that. Then on the job interview you told me you didn’t have a lot of money at home so I felt bad for you… but then I started following you everywhere with my eyes and you made me weak in the knees… before I knew it I was head over heels.”

Baekhyun stares at him for a little while. “You aren’t dating me out of pity, right?”

Chanyeol shakes his head vigorously, wanting his boyfriend to think anything but that. “No! I really like you, Baekhyun. I’ve never liked anyone as much as I like you, I promise.”

Baekhyun smiles at him. “Okay, I believe you. But I don’t need pity!”

“I know, Baek. You only need kisses.”

Baekhyun pouts while his cheeks turn pink. “True.”

Chanyeol leans over with a laugh before connecting their lips. For a long while, they kiss gently, no tongue just lips. Chanyeol could live from just kissing Baekhyun’s delectable lips.

After a few minute of just enjoying each other’s lips, Chanyeol pulls back and grabs his boyfriend’s shoulders rather roughly. “You didn’t tell me how your evaluation went!”

Baekhyun is looking at him in shock before realizing his words. Then he sighs in relief before smiling widely. “It went really well! I’m still top of the club!”

Chanyeol gasps. “I’m so proud of you!” He crushes his tiny boyfriend into a strangling embrace, hoping his pride travels through their close contact.

“You’re gonna break my bones, Chanyeol!”

Chanyeol lets go of his boyfriend with a wide smile. While Baekhyun catches his breath, Chanyeol is filled with adoration by just looking at his midget and can’t resist recapturing his lips. Baekhyun smiles into the kiss before they break apart again.

“I have some more good news,” Baekhyun announces with a cheeky smile. “Mom and I have finally decided to kick Baekbeom out. My mom called some kind of service to take him away next Sunday.”

“That’s good. He was harmful to both you and your mom.”

“Yeah… my mom had a hard time with it before because he’s still her son and she loves him, but it’s just too much for her.”

“What about you? How do you feel about him leaving?”

“He’s not the brother I knew back when I was a kid. I feel no remorse. He brought this on himself. Mom said he can come back once he’s sober, though.”

“Okay. You know, if you ever feel the need to talk I’m right here.”

Baekhyun smiles softly. “You’re cute.”

“Says you,” Chanyeol replies, raising a teasing eyebrow.

Baekhyun jokingly pushes Chanyeol’s face away with his index finger before linking their fingers together. “Just so you know, you can always talk to me as well. I know you probably have nothing bothering you apart from basketball stuff, but I’m always willing to listen.” Chanyeol’s smile disappears at that, which Baekhyun immediately notices. “What? Is something wrong?”

“No, um, just… Kyungsoo and I had a conversation and um… he told me I needed to communicate.” Chanyeol takes a deep breath. “So, um, I was wondering if you wanted to h-have s-sex. Not like, right now or anything I-I just wanted to know if you w-wanted to at all. Y-you know, getting on the same page and stuff. I don’t want to pressure you, I-I’d just like to know. It’s completely okay if you don’t want to.” After finishing his awkward string of words, Chanyeol glues his eyes to his lap, not wanting to face Baekhyun.

For a short while, it stays silent. The silence is agonizing and Chanyeol feels his speeding heartbeat thump in his ears. Hopefully Baekhyun won’t get mad at him for asking.

“I masturbate thinking of you, is that weird?” Chanyeol whips his head up. Baekhyun has his eyes down, fiddling his fingers in his lap. His face is completely red, like he’s been holding his breath all this time.

“N-no, not at all! I… I do it too,” Chanyeol mutters, taking Baekhyun’s hands in his.

“Well… do you wanna… _do stuff_?”

Chanyeol stares at his boyfriend incredulously. “R-right now?”

Baekhyun nods once. “Do you want to?” He asks shyly.

“Yeah, d-definitely. Do _you_ want to?”

“Yes.”

 _Holy shit. Is this really happening?_ Chanyeol is struck by the realization that they’re actually going to have sex, almost dozing off into fantasyland again. “Okay. So, um, how do you want to do this?”

“I have lube,” Baekhyun admits, grabbing the bottle from under his pillow.

Chanyeol’s eyes widen. “Were you expecting—”

“No! no… um, sometimes I f-finger myself,” Baekhyun whispers the last part, averting his eyes.

Chanyeol could die right there and then. Just the mere idea of Baekhyun playing with his backside has Chanyeol’s mind reeling. Even more so now that Baekhyun has admitted he thinks of Chanyeol while doing so. He composes himself and grabs Baekhyun’s cheeks with both hands.

“That’s really sexy,” he whispers while looking into his lover’s eyes.

Baekhyun blushes a deep red before connecting their lips, the awkwardness between them vanishing in an instant. Their lips mold together as they always have – easily, gently, sensually. Kissing Baekhyun without any tongue is already captivating, enough to drive Chanyeol senseless. The light pressure of Baekhyun’s lips is like the touch of a feather, slightly ticklish but incredibly soft.

Chanyeol feels a tongue prodding at his lips and he opens his mouth for it, wanting to have more of Baekhyun. The sensation of their tongues sliding together has both of them moaning into the kiss. There’s fire between them now, one that can only be extinguished by more intimate contact. Baekhyun whines into the kiss, his hand clutching Chanyeol’s shirt. Chanyeol slides his hands to Baekhyun’s shoulders and lets himself be pulled down by his tiny boyfriend.

While they kiss some more, Baekhyun tugs on his shirt, signaling he wants it off. Chanyeol forces himself off Baekhyun’s lips for that very reason, despite wanting to kiss Baekhyun to eternity. After taking off his shirt and pants, Chanyeol glances over to Baekhyun only to see he’s fully naked. His breath stocks in his throat. Of course Baekhyun would have the most heavenly body on earth. Chanyeol lets his eyes feast, raking his pupils over every inch of Baekhyun’s sensual body.

“Are you gonna get naked or stare all day?”

Chanyeol quickly shoves his socks and boxers off, leaving both of them completely nude. This time Baekhyun is the one enjoying the view, eyes half-lidded with want as they scan Chanyeol from top to bottom. Chanyeol crawls between his boyfriend’s legs, spreading them before leaning down to connect their lips again. His semi-erect member brushes against Baekhyun’s, causing them both to groan into their wet kiss. Baekhyun wraps his arms around Chanyeol’s neck and draws his body closer, pressing their heated skin together.

Chanyeol lowers his hands to Baekhyun’s chest, swiping his thumb over Baekhyun’s nipple experimentally. “Is this okay?” he asks in a whisper. Baekhyun nods quickly, a desperate huff escaping his lips. Pressing one last kiss to Baekhyun’s lips, Chanyeol lowers his mouth, fluttering his lips against the expanse of Baekhyun’s neck, down to his collarbones, along the planes of his chest only to finally stop at one of his perky nipples. He presses a soft kiss to the pink bud, which earns him a soft whine. Then he wraps his lips around it and nibbles gently, causing more sounds to leave his small boyfriend. The sounds are delirious. Chanyeol wants more and he knows he can get more. The neglected nipple now gets well-deserved attention from his index finger and thumb, softly rolling the nub between them. He lowers his free hand to Baekhyun’s member, taking the sensitive organ in his fist. The touch makes Baekhyun buck up instinctively, a moan accompanied with it.

“ _A-ah_ , _Ch-Chanyeol_ ,” Baekhyun whines. “Will you please finger me?”

“I will,” he answers breathlessly. Anything Baekhyun desires is law.

Chanyeol sits upright and grabs the lube from where Baekhyun dropped it earlier. He drizzles a generous amount over his fingers, the clear substance covering them in slick. Then he makes himself comfortable between Baekhyun’s legs, elevating the calves over his thighs. Baekhyun immediately grabs his own thighs and lifts his legs up, presenting his entrance in all its glory. For a moment, Chanyeol is mesmerizes by Baekhyun being in such an intimate position for him alone, but then he snaps out of it and focuses on the pending request.

Chanyeol hooks his arm around Baekhyun’s leg and puts his hand back on Baekhyun’s cock, softly stroking it. Baekhyun’s eyes flutter close while his mouth opens, soft sounds falling out. With nothing but adoration, Chanyeol watches his boyfriend find pleasure in his touches. He presses a soft kiss to Baekhyun’s thigh before lowering his lubed fingers to his hole. He traces over the entrance first before slipping a single finger in. It has Baekhyun moaning a lot louder and Chanyeol takes that as encouragement, stroking his boyfriend harder while beginning to thrust his finger rapidly.

“A-another,” Baekhyun gasps. “ _Please_ , Chanyeol, put another in.”

“Of course,” he replies, pressing another kiss to Baekhyun’s thigh.

When he slides his index finger almost entirely out, he wedges the tip of his middle finger in and thrusts back in with two full fingers. It has Baekhyun gasping, arching off the bed. He speeds up his fingers and hand, causing destruction to Baekhyun. His tiny boyfriend is completely covered in sweat, hair plastered to his forehead as he moans strings of Chanyeol’s name. His cock is leaking pre-cum onto his stomach, dripping off to the side when Baekhyun jerks in pleasure again. When Chanyeol begins scissoring his fingers, Baekhyun really starts losing it – nothing but choked gasps leave his lips, unable to form even moans as the pleasure is too intense.

“Ch-Chanyeol,” Baekhyun calls hoarsely. “You can put it in… _please_ put it in. I can t-take it, I promise.”

“Okay, I’ll try not to hurt you.” Chanyeol carefully takes his fingers out, which makes Baekhyun emit a whimper.

He rolls a condom on and puts some more lube on his erection, wanting the least amount of harm to come to Baekhyun. After steadying Baekhyun’s legs, he guides his cock to his entrance, bumping the head against it. He slowly nudges the head in, causing both of them to groan lowly. Only the tip is in, but it’s already _so so tight_. Driving the rest of his cock in is a heavenly process, getting sucked into Baekhyun’s tight walls is immediately addicting. There’s a hint of pain in Baekhyun’s expression but he hasn’t told Chanyeol to stop. When he’s finally fully inside, hips slotting against Baekhyun’s skin, both of them exhale.

“You feel amazing,” Chanyeol whispers, leaning down to capture Baekhyun’s lips. Baekhyun whimpers against his lips, his tongue poking out to ask Chanyeol for more. Their tongues tangle together hotly and messily, but the sensation is amazing nonetheless.

Chanyeol slowly begins to move his hips, mouth still occupied. The movement has Baekhyun moaning and gasping into the kiss, until he eventually throws his head back with a cry.

“Harder,” he moans.

Chanyeol obliges, snapping his hips faster and harder, the sound of their skin slapping together echoing obscenely. Baekhyun’s moans get more high-pitched as Chanyeol picks up speed, his hands clawing at the sheets. Then Chanyeol finds Baekhyun’s special spot and Baekhyun is a lost cause. The sounds he makes are desperate and choked, the shrill of pleasure bouncing off the walls. His legs twitch as his orgasm advances and Chanyeol is quick to react – wrapping a hand around Baekhyun’s leaking cock. The jerks of his wrist are at the same speed as his thrusts, effectively speeding up the approach of Baekhyun’s orgasm.

With a high-pitched cry, Baekhyun comes, cock twitching and spurting his release all over his chest and stomach.

He unconsciously tightens around Chanyeol’s cock, giving him even more intense pleasure. Chanyeol groans into Baekhyun’s shoulder as he keeps trusting, knowing he won’t be lasting very long with Baekhyun clenching around his cock like this.

A shudder works its way through his body, one that feels like a shockwave, and before Chanyeol knows it he’s coming. He releases into the condom with a choked moan of Baekhyun’s name, gripping the sheets below him until his knuckles turn white.

Fatigue quickly catches up to him and he pulls out before dropping down next to Baekhyun. Baekhyun is so kind to take the condom off for him, tie it, and discard it. Chanyeol pulls him close with one arm, placing his head on his midget’s chest. Baekhyun kisses his hair and Chanyeol keens happily.

“That was good,” he mutters into Baekhyun’s skin.

“Just good?”

“No, Baek. You were amazing. You’re incredible and I’m happy—”

“Are you boys done or is it not safe to come in yet?” A voice from the hallway interrupts.

“Mom!” Baekhyun squawks in shock. Chanyeol quickly covers their nude bodies with the blanket.

“I’ll take that as a no!”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry about uploading it so late, there were some issues i needed to fix before i could upload it haha  
> i hope you enjoyed! please leave a comment if you did :D
> 
> i've also been thinking of writing an ot12 fanfic again with the classic pairings, but idk if anyone would be up for that?


End file.
